The move, which eliminates a layer of management, is meant to better align its international operations with the restructuring implemented at the rest of Sara Lee, the Downers Grove-based food giant said Tuesday.

Longtime Sara Lee executive Adriaan Nuhn, CEO of the international business, is out in the move, which will be completed by December.

Vincent Janssen, CEO of the household and body care business, and Frank van Oers, CEO of the coffee and tea division, will report directly to Chairwoman and CEO Brenda Barnes.

The bakery segment, led by bakery Europe Group President Miguel Llado will report to van Oers.

Barnes has moved to streamline management operation since coming aboard the company, said Greggory Warren, an analyst at Morningstar.

"Sara Lee's biggest problem has been they've been a completely decentralized organization," Warren said. "She wants them to be a much more nimble, focused consumer packaged goods company.

"They're trying to centralize every aspect of what the company does from purchasing to marketing that traditionally wasn't done that way."

From the March 26, 2007, Prepared Foods e-Flash